Sekuleminyaka eminengi iKhisimusi ichazwa ngokuthi lusuku lokunanza ukuzalwa kukaJesu. Kodwa imikhuba eminengi eyenziwa ngomkhosi lo yenza sizibuze ukuthi vele kwaqalisela ngaphi ukuthi ihlanganiswe lokuzalwa kukaJesu.

Okokuqala kuphathelane loFather Christmas. Lamuhla abantu bamjayele ngezigqoko ezibomvu, ngendevu ezimhlophe, ngokuzicomba ezihlathini langokuhlala ehleka. Kodwa ngo-1931 wasetshenziswa ekukhangiseni okwaphumelela kakhulu ngesikhathi seKhisimusi okwenziwa ngenye inkampani yaseNorth America eyenza okunathwayo. Ngeminyaka yabo-1950 abanye abantu baseBrazil bazama ukusebenzisa uGrandpa Indian befuna ukuthi kube nguye owaziwa kakhulu ukwedlula uFather Christmas. Baphumelela yini? Iqhinga lokusebenzisa uGrandpa Indian kalizange liphumelele futhi uSikhwicamfundo uCarlos E. Fantinati uthi uFather Christmas waqhubeka esaziwa kakhulu waze “waqakathekiswa ukwedlula usana olunguJesu njalo kwaba nguye ohlonitshwa kakhulu emkhosini owenziwa mhlaka 25 December.” Kodwa-ke inganekwane ezifana lale ekaFather Christmas yizo zodwa yini ezenza iKhisimusi ingamukeleki? Ukuze sithole impendulo yombuzo lo, ake sixoxe ngokuthi amaKhristu okuqala wona ayeyibona njani indaba le.

I-Encyclopedia Britannica ithi: “Okwamakhulu amabili kusanda kuqalisa isiKhristu, abantu babengafuni lakuzwa ngokukhunjulwa kwezinsuku zokuzalwa kwabantu ababefele ukholo, ngitsho lolokuzalwa kukaJesu uqobo.” Ngenxa yani? Ngenxa yokuthi amaKhristu ayekwazi ukuthi ukunanzwa kwezinsuku zokuzalwa kwakusuka emikhubeni yobuhedeni futhi kwakuyinto okwakungamelanga ayenze loba sekutheni. IBhayibhili lalo kalisitsheli ukuthi uJesu wazalwa mhlaka bani.

Lanxa amaKhristu ekhulu lokuqala lelesibili engazange avumelane lomkhuba wokunanza izinsuku zokuzalwa, ngekhulu lesine C.E. iSonto yamaKatolika yasungula iKhisimusi. Isonto le yazama ukuthi ithole usekelo ebantwini ngokugqibela imikhuba yobuhedeni eyayithandwa kakhulu ngamaRoma kanye lemikhosi yawo yokunanza usuku olwalusiba lemini emfitshane ebusika, ngoba lokhu kwakuphambanisa inhloso yayo. Ibhuku elithi Christmas in America elabhalwa nguPenne L. Restad lithi kusukela ngoDecember 17 kusiya kuJanuary 1 umnyaka ngamunye, “amaRoma ayesiba lamadili, imidlalo, imicimbi, ematsha njalo esenza leminye imikhosi ukuze adumise onkulunkulu bawo.” Kanti njalo mhlaka 25 December, amaRoma ayenanza ukuzalwa kweLanga Elinganqobekiyo. Ngakho isonto yamaKatolika yakhetha ukuthi iKhisimusi inanzwe ngosuku lolu ukuze iqile amaRoma amanengi ukuthi ananze usuku lokuzalwa kukaJesu esikhundleni sokunanza usuku lokuzalwa kwelanga. Ibhuku elithi Santa Claus, a Biography, elalotshwa nguGerry Bowler lithi amaRoma “ayelokhu elandela imikhuba ayayisenziwa emikhosini yabo yebusika.” Iqiniso yikuthi “aqhubeka enanza imikhosi emitsha esebenzisa imikhuba emidala.”

Sekuzicacela-ke ukuthi okubi kakhulu ngemikhosi yeKhisimusi yimvelaphi yayo engcolileyo. UStephen Nissenbaum owabhala ibhuku elithi The Battle for Christmas, wathi iKhisimusi “ngumkhosi nje wabahedeni ocatsha ngesiKhristu.” Ngakho iKhisimusi kayimthokozisi uNkulunkulu kanye leNdodana yakhe uJesu Khristu. Yindaba encane yini le? IBhayibhili lithi: “Ukulunga lobubi kulokuhambelana bani na? Loba yibudlelwano bani obungabakhona phakathi kokukhanya lobumnyama na?” (2 KwabaseKhorinte 6:14) IKhisimusi injengesihlahla esithe sikhula sagoba, itshilene okokuthi ‘ingaze yaqondiswa.’—UmTshumayeli 1:15.